Case for locks



(No ModeL) Y Y I H. L. SPIEGEL.

I CASE FOR LOCKS. V Patented A r-.21, 1885.

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HENRY-L. SPIEGEL,OFINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK WIMIX, on NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

CASE-Foe Locks.

EEPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,4: 11, dated April 21, 1885.

(No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HnnRY L. SPIEGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cases for-Locks,ot' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in lock-cases for bureau or desk drawers,or other cabinet-work.

Prior to my invention lock-cases have ordinarily been secured within hand-chiseled mortises by fastening-screws. Owing'to the expense in forming hand-chiseled mortises, due

I 5 to the fact that such work required skilled labor and considerable time for its execution, an attempt had been made to construct a lock that should be adapted for insertion and retention in a machine-made mortise, or one formed by a routing-tool, and thereby materially reduce the expense incurred in fitting and securing the lock in place, as by the eniployment of suitable machinery, routed lock cavities or mortises could be made at a very much less expense than hand-chiseled mortises. The lock devised with this object in view was provided witha cap-plate having its edges projected or extended laterally beyond the side walls of the lock case, a front plate with its side edges made flush with the side walls of thelock-case,and atop plate or selvage of a width equal to the thickness of the lockcase. The lockcase thus constructed was driven or forced into a shallow routed cavity,

the cap-plate resting in contact with the rear wall thereof and retaining thelock against displacement in one direction,while the laterallyprojecting edges of the cap-plate entered the side walls of the rented cavity and prevented the look from displacement in the opposite direction. As the cap-plate was seated in direct contact with the rear wall of the cavity, the key-post was necessarily cut off or made flush with the outer surface of the cap-plate,

no provision having been made for securing thelock-case within a routed cavity provided with a space or recess for the reception of a projecting key-post. In view of the fact that looks constructed with projecting key-posts o possessed certain advantages that met the demands of the trade, the peculiar construction of lock above described with its flush key-post and adapted to be driven into a routed cavity failed of introduction, preference being given to the old form of lock-case with its projecting keypost, though it necessitated the hand-chiseled mortise and fastening-screws for its attachment.

Another improvement in lock-cases is shown and described in Letters Patent No. 241,828, granted to me May 24, 1881. This lock-case is provided with a projecting key-post and a projecting or extended top plate or selvage that covers and conceals the space or recess formed in the mortise for the reception of the projecting key-post. In order that the lockcase in question might be secured within a mortise of such form as would admit of the projecting keypost, the side edges of the capplate and front plate were extended laterally beyond the side walls of the lock-case, there by forming grooves or channels which engaged or interlocked with correspondingly-formed projections or ribs on the side walls oflthe mortise, and thus retained the lock-case against forward or rearward displacement. The lockcase,being thus secured at its sides,allowed of a space or recess being formed in the rear Wall of the mortise and in rear of the cap-plate for the reception of the projecting key-post,wl1ich space was covered and concealed from view by the projecting top plate or selvage. While this latter construction of lock possesses valuable features of improvement not disclosed by the prior art, yet the form of lock shown and described in the patent is such as to preelude its adoption for use in routed cavities, because its front plate is not of the proper form to fit within and cover a cavity made by a routing-tool.

The object of thisinventionis to obviate the objectionable features and defects hereinbefore set forth, and provide a lock-case of such form and construction that it may have aproj ecting key-post, if so desired, and be secured within a routed cavity, and snugly retained it therein, so as to conceal the cavity from view and form a neat and finished appearance when in place.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a lock-case having its edges constructed to engage or interlock with the side walls of a routed cavity, and provided with a front plate having a rounded bottom adapted to fit within a countersunk recess around the routed cavity and constitute a support for the lockcase and conceal the cavity from view.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View in perspective of one form of lock embodying my invention, and Fig 2 is a view in perspective of the routed cavity or mortise within which a lock of the formshown in .Fig. 1 is adapted to be inserted.

' with the side walls, a a, of the lock-case,while itslower end or portion extends below the lower edge of the case, and is formed with a semicircular or rounded bottom. The top plate, b,.may be formed in one and the same piece with the front plate, B, and bent at right angles thereto in the manner and form usually resorted to. v

C designates a portion of a drawer-front or other article or support to which the lock is to be applied, and within which is'formed by a routing-tool the routed cavity D.

The routing-tool or cutter is of proper shape to form a routed cavity with side walls of such shape or configuration that the sides of the lock case will when inserted interlock therewith, and thereby prevent the displacement of the lock either in a forward or backward direction within the cavity or mortises; also to form aspace in the rear wall of the cavity for the admission of a projecting keypost, and also to form the lower portion of the cavity or mortise so that the rounded bottom of the front plate shall fit therein and conceal the cavity from View. The lock being inserted into the routed cavity, the projecting key-post'is received within the space formed in the rear wall thereof, while the projecting or overhanging top plate or selvage completely covers the upper portion of the cavity and conceals it from view. The sides of the lockcase engage and interlock with the side walls of the routed cavity and thereby prevent the lock-case from either forward or rearward displacement. The rounded bottom of the downwardly extended front plate fits within a countersunk recess and serves to form a neat and finished appearance on the inner side of the drawer-front by concealing the routed cavity from view, and also serves as a vertical support for the lockcase.

From the foregoing it will be observed that while my improved lock-case is adapted to be secured with a routed cavity, and. hence may be applied at very slight expense, it has embodied therein such features of form and construction as are deemed of value and importance by the trade to insure the best practicable form of lock and the desired neatness of finish in its application.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A lock-case having a front plate formed with a rounded bottom, a cap-plate forming in connection with the front plateintervening spaces or grooves on the opposite edges of the lock-case, and a top plate extending over and beyond the cap-plate, the projecting edges of the front plate being adapted to fit within a countersunk recess around-the routed cavity within which the lock-ease is inserted, substantially asset forth. v

2. A lock-case having a front plate formed with arounded bottom, a cap-plate secured to or connected with the front plate and constructed to form therewith intervening spaces or grooves on opposite edges of the lock-case, and a top plate extending over and beyond the cap-plate, in combination with a support having a routed cavity provided with a countersunk recess adapted to receive the outer and projecting edges of the front plate, substantially as set forth.

3. A lock-case having a front plate formed with a rounded bottom, a cap-plate secured to or connected with the front plate and con- .structed to form therewith intervening spaces or grooves on opposite edges of the lock-case to retain it in place within the routed cavity, and a top plate extending over and beyond the cap-plate, in combination .with a support provided with a routed cavity of a depth sufcient to receive the projecting edge of the top plate flush therein, substantiallyzas set forth.

HENRY L. sP'IEGEL.

Witnesses: J OSEPH STAKE, WILLIAM C. SPIEGEL. 

